When it comes to scoring in the pro hockey league, Alex Larue is crushing it-with the hot puck bunnies. He's the life of the party, the guy with all the jokes . . . and the one whose Party Guy mask keeps the real him well hidden. The last thing he needs is anyone finding out about his troubled past, or the nightmares that haunt him still.

Brie Bennett is less than impressed by Alex from the moment she meets him. And even though he insists on volunteering at the charity she runs, she doesn't trust him. He's hiding something...but so is she. She's not just the rich, privileged New York princess he thinks she is. The animosity between them is undeniably addictive and as their worlds keep colliding it becomes supercharged with something else - attraction. But if they stop playing games and let each other in, they both might lose.

I have really enjoyed the Hometown Players series by Victoria Denault. She’s a talented writer and the characters she creates are so likeable. And while I don’t think you have to be even remotely a hockey fan to enjoy these books, it certainly doesn’t hurt. Reading this book was even more enjoyable for me now that the hockey season has started. It’s easy to picture my favorite hockey players as these characters and I just love it.

With all of that said, this book wasn’t my favorite in the series, though I did enjoy it. It took me almost a month to read it. That’s unheard of for me. And while a lot of it can be attributed to life – being sick, having a sick kid, work being busy, travel, and a book signing – I feel as though some of it had to do with the lack of engagement at times. This book was one of those that I enjoyed while I was reading it, but when I put it down it wasn’t begging me to pick it back up.

It was well-written, the story was solid, and I really liked Brie and Alex (and Mac!). But there was something about their story that left me wanting just a tad more. I wish I could put my finger on exactly what that was, but I’m having a hard time doing so.

I loved their meet-cute and the tension between Brie and Alex early on in the book. I also enjoyed them kind of getting to know each other. But it seemed they went pretty quickly to love without a lot of groundwork for it being laid. I would have liked some more development there.

All in all, it was enjoyable and if you’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, then I think you’ll enjoy this one. If you haven’t read any of these books, I do recommend them, whether you’re a hockey fan or not. But especially if you are.